By Johnny Askounis/ [email protected]
Within a short period of time setting a new career high on SaturdaySpaniard Santi Aldama repeated a 37-point performance on 13/21 on the field, including seven triples, lifting Finnish boss Tuomas Iisalo and the Memphis Grizzlies on the Utah Jazz137-128, at the Delta Center on Tuesday. “It feels really good to see the ball go through the hoop, but you just have to try to be aggressive and be patient. That’s what the coaches always talk about. Sometimes it’ll be me, sometimes another teammate, but as long as we’re winning, that’s what matters to me,” he reacted in a post-match interview. For the hosts, Ukraine’s Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk had nine points, with Finland’s Lauri Markkanen (managing a right groin injury) and Bosnia’s Jusuf Nurkic (rest) absent.
Elsewhere during the 2025-26 NBA regular season, Montenegrin Nikola Vucevic combined for his 1,000th career appearance with a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds, including two key free throws with 1.5 seconds on the clock, pushing the Chicago Bulls to a 126-123 victory against the Atlanta Falcons at State Farm Arena. His fellow starter, Lithuanian Matas Buzelis, finished with 15 points after being knocked out midway through the fourth quarter due to injury, with Frenchman Noa Essengue (left shoulder surgery) already out. THE Falcons Latvian Kristaps Porzingis (illness) and Spaniard Eli Ndiaye (left shoulder surgery) missed, and Serbian Nikola Djurisic was also inactive, but Czech Vit Krejci scored 19 points off the bench and French starter Zaccharie Risacher scored ten points.
Although Georgia’s Goga Bitadze (left knee sprain) is on the injured list alongside Germany’s Tristan da Silva (right shoulder bruise), Franz Wagner (left ankle sprain) and Moritz Wagner (recovering from left knee injury), the Magic of Orlando anticipated the Portland Trail Blazers110-106, at the Moda Center. Frenchman Noah Penda scored eight points. For the hosts, Israeli Deni Avdija scored a game-high 25 points. His fellow holder, the Belgian Toumani Camara, reached ten points, and the French reserves Sidy Cissoko and Rayan Rupert respectively five and two points.
Behind Kawhi Leonard’s 41 points, the Los Angeles Clippers mastered the Houston Rockets128-108, in Intuit Dome. Frenchman Nicolas Batum scored six points, while Serbian Bogdan Bogdanovic and Swiss Yanic Konan Niederhauser added three points each, coming off the bench for the team coached by Tyronn Lue. Croatian Ivica Zubac (sprained left ankle) was ruled out. A double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds from Turkey’s Alperen Sengun was not enough for the visitors, with Swiss substitute Clint Capela producing two points.
A double-double of 11 points and 16 rebounds from Frenchman Rudy Gobert helped the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the New York Knicks115-104, in Target Center. His fellow starter, Italian Donte DiVincenzo, scored 11 points, but Frenchman Joan Beringer did not play. Without Britain’s OG Anunoby (left ankle pain) and France’s Guerschon Yabusele (illness), the visitors included France’s Mohamed Diawara on three points and Germany’s Ariel Hukporti on two points, but France’s Pacome Dadiet and Britain’s Tosan Evbuomwan failed to score.
Without the Austrian Jakob Poeltl (lower back sprain), the Serbian Darko Rajakovic guided the Toronto Raptors to a victory, 112-91, over the Miami Heat at the Kaseya Center. Georgian starter Sandro Mamukelashvili scored 14 points. Reserve options for Erik Spoelstra included Lithuania’s Kasparas Jakucionis getting seven points and Italy’s Simone Fontecchio scoring five points, but Serbia’s Nikola Jovic (right elbow contusion/laceration) and Sweden’s Pelle Larsson (left ankle sprain) were unavailable, and Russia’s Vladislav Goldin was inactive.
Entering the starting lineup, Frenchman Moussa Diabaté went 6/6 en route to a double-double of 12 points and 18 rebounds, and French reserve Tidjane Salaun added 11 points for the game. Charlotte Frelons in a victory, 126-109, against the Wizards of Washington. Frenchman Bilal Coulibaly returned from a sprained left ankle with 14 points, and his compatriot Alex Sarr combined for seven points with 11 rebounds and four blocks, but Serbian Tristan Vukcevic was limited to two barren minutes.
Russian starter Egor Demin was among Spanish point guard Jordi Fernandez’s best players, scoring 20 points. Brooklyn fillets defeated the Philadelphia 76ers114-106, in the Xfinity Mobile Arena. On the bench, Frenchman Nolan Traoré and Israeli Danny Wolf added five and three points, but Israeli Ben Saraf did not play, although he was ruled out with a sprained right ankle. For the SixersTurkey’s Adem Bona had four points.
At the Golden 1 Center, the Detroit Pistons held on for a victory, 136-127, against the Kings of Sacramentothe Swede Bobi Klintman remaining on mission in the G League with the Motor City Cruise. On the losing side, German reserve Dennis Schroder scored ten points and French holder Maxime Raynaud reached eight points, but Croatian Dario Saric did not score and Lithuanian Domantas Sabonis (left knee meniscus tear) remained on the sidelines.
Without Greek superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo (right calf strain) for a seventh consecutive outing, the Milwaukee Bucks knocked down the Indiana Pacers111-94, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Freak Brothers went from Thanasis remaining on the bench to Alex being assigned to the Wisconsin Herd.
After excluding Slovenian Luka Doncic (contusion to lower left leg)THE Los Angeles Lakers suffered a resounding defeat, 132-108, against the Phoenix Suns in the Mortgage Matching Center. German Maxi Kleber scored two points for JJ Redick’s team.
Croatian Karlo Matkovic scores two points for the New Orleans Pelicansshaped Rocket Arena’s unique European action, with the Cleveland Cavaliers in force, 141-118.
Tuesday results
Charlotte Frelons – Wizards of Washington 126-103
Philadelphia 76ers – Brooklyn fillets 106-114
Atlanta Falcons – Chicago Bulls 123-126
Cleveland Cavaliers – New Orleans Pelicans 141-118
Indiana Pacers – Milwaukee Bucks 94-111
Miami Heat – Toronto Raptors 91-112
Dallas Mavericks – Denver Nuggets 131-130
Minnesota Timberwolves – New York Knicks 115-104
San Antonio Spurs – Oklahoma City Thunder 130-110
Phoenix Suns – Los Angeles Lakers 132-108
Utah Jazz – Memphis Grizzlies 128-137
Portland Trail Blazers – Magic of Orlando 106-110
Kings of Sacramento – Detroit Pistons 127-136
Los Angeles Clippers – Houston Rockets 128-108
Ranking
Eastern Conference
1. Detroit Pistons 24-6
2. New York Knicks 20-9
3. Boston Celtics 18-11
4. Toronto Raptors 18-13
5. Philadelphia 76ers 16-12
6. The magic of Orlando 17-13
7. Cleveland Cavaliers 17-14
8. Miami Heat 15-15
9. Atlanta Falcons 15-16
10. Chicago Bulls 14-15
11. Milwaukee Bucks 12-18
12. Charlotte Hornets 10-20
13. Brooklyn Tenderloins 9-19
14. Indiana Pacers 6-24
15. Wizards of Washington 5-23
Western Conference
1. Oklahoma City Thunder 26-4
2. San Antonio Spurs 22-7
3. Denver Nuggets 21-8
4. Los Angeles Lakers 19-9
5. Minnesota Wolves 20-10
6. Houston Rockets 17-10
7. Phoenix Suns 16-13
8. Warriors of the Golden State 15-15
9. Memphis Grizzlies 14-16
10. Portland Trail Blazers 12-18
11. Dallas Mavericks 12-19
12. Utah Jazz 10-19
13. Los Angeles Clippers 8-21
14. New Orleans Pelicans 8-23
15. Kings of Sacramento 7-23
-The top 6 teams in each conference advance directly to the Playoffs
-Teams seventh through tenth in each conference advance to the Play-Ins
